Artificial fuel and method of making same



Patented Feb. 10, 1925. p

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'rnnononn NAGEL, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ARTIFICIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.

' bonaceous materials, examples of which are anthracite coal, cokebraize, etc., and an object of my invention is the production of a hardcombustible water-insoluble artificial fuel in which the granules arefixed in a structure by a smokeless water-insoluble non-fusible binder.

Briefly, my invention may be'realized by coating the granules ofcomminuted carbonaceous material with a binding material, such asacidulatedsyrup, acidulated syrup and phosphoric acid, causticizedvegetable glue and syrup, sulphite pitch and p hosphoric acid, etc.,which, upon heating and cooling is converted into a hard combustiblewater-insoluble non-fusible binder. The mixture is then pressed toexclude the voids thereof to force the granules of the comminutedmaterial into intimate contact and finally heated and cooled to convertthe binding material into a'binder which is combustible water-insolubleand non-fusible and is substantially smokeless and odorless whenburning. This binder surrounds the granules of the carbonaceous materialand fixes them in a water-insoluble structure,

that is a structure which though not necessarily waterproof will notsoften and disintegrate in' water and does not disintegrate whileburning, that is, does not soften or.

In practising my'invention I prefer to use black strap molassestheresidue after extracting the sugar crystals from cane juice at sugarcane mills or the residue syrup from sugar refineries and whenphosphoric, acid is used I prefer a solution of phosphoric Applicationfiled January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,369.

and heat this comminuted material to a tem perature not to exceedsubstantially 400 F. and to this material add a binding material such asfor example, the above referred to acidulated syrup and a solution ofphosphoric acid, the amount of syrup not to exceed substantially 7 7 byweight of the comminuted material and the amount of acid not to exceed 1372 H PO, by weight of the comminuted material.

The carbonaceous material and the binder are thoroughly mixed so as tocoat or cover substantially all of the granules of the material. Themixture is then pressed, in a briquet press for example, to exclude thevoids of the mixture and to force the granules thereof into intimatecontact, then this pressed mixture is heated to a temperaturesubstantially not in excess of 800 F. and subsequently cooled. (Theheating and subsequent cooling of the mixture converts the bindingmaterial into a combustible waterinsoluble non-fusible binder w hichfixes the granules of the mixture in a water-insoluble structure thatburns without softening and flowing; In the heating of the mixture achemical reaction takes place forming phosphates.

It is to be understood that the expression non-fusible binder usedthroughout this description and the accompanying claims is tobeinterpreted to mean a binder which does not fuse at the burningtemperature of the carbonaceous material employed in making up the fuel.

It-is to be also understood that, while I havespecifically referred tovarious binding materials as suitable for use in the practice of myimproved process these materials are merely illustrative, and thatbinding materials other than those specifically referred to may be used,the desideratum being a hard water-insoluble structure, the granules ofwhich are fixed therein by a binder which upon heating and cooling isconverted into a binder that is non-fusible and water-insoluble andemits substantially no smoke or odor while burning.

It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that my improved methodproduces an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceousmaterial, the granules of which are fixed in a hard water-insolublestructure by a binder which is non-fusible and waterinsoluble. Thebinderbeing non-fusible at the burning temperature of the carbonaceousmaterial holds the granules of the fuel to the structure while thegranules are burning, thereby preventing softening and flowing of thestructure.

I claim:

1. The process of making artficial fuel which process consists in mixingwith comminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which, uponheating and cooling is converted into a. non-fusible binder, pressingthe mixture to bring the granules thereof into intimate contact, andsubsequently fixing the granules of the carbonaceous material in astructure by heating and cooling the mixture to convert the bindingmaterial into a non-fusible binder.

2. The process of making artificial fuel which process consists inmixing with comvminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which,upon heating and cooling I is converted into a water-insoluble,nonfusible binder, subjecting the mixture to pressure to bring thegranules thereof into intimate contact and subsequently fixing thegranules of the carbonaceous material in a water-insoluble structure byheating and cooling the mixture to convert the binding material into awater-insoluble non-fusible binder. v

3. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed ofcomminuted carbonaceous material and a binder containing phosphorus.

4. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed ofcomminuted carbondaceous material and added phosphoric aci 5. As anarticle of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminutedcarbonaceous material'and salts of phosphorus.

6. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed ofcomminuted carbonaceous material and phosphates.

7. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed ofcomminuted carbonaceous material and a binder containing organic carbonand phosphates.

8. The process of making artificial fuel which process consists inmixing with comminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which,upon heating is converted into a. non-fusible binder, pressing themixture to bring the granules thereof into intimate contact, andsubsequently fixing the granules of the carbonaceous material in astructure by heating the mixture to convert the binding material into anon-fusible binder.

9. A briquette comprising comminuted material and a phosphoric acidbinding material, said mixed materials being indurated by heating.

10. The method of making fuel briquettes which comprises subjectingsuitable comminuted material to the action of a phosphoric acid,moulding the material into the desired shape, and heating the materialat a temperature above about 200 C. until the material acquires thedesired hardness.

11. A briquet comprising a heat-indurated mass of commingled materialand a phosphoric acid binding material.

12. The method of making briquets which comprises subjecting comminutedmaterial to the action of a phosphoric acid,'molding the material intobriquettes of any desired shape and indurating the briquets by theaction of heat.

13. A fuel briquet comprising comminuted carbon and a phosphoric acidbinding material.

14. A fuel briquet comprising anthracite coal culm and a phosphoricacidbinding material.

This specification signed this 30th day of December, 1922.

THEODORE N AGEL.

